Cavatappi Pasta Salad with Walnut-Sage Pesto

The flavorful pesto clings to the corkscrew-shaped pasta. Any small pasta, such as farfalle, penne, or seashell, would also work well. The pesto sauce darkens upon standing, so try to serve the salad shortly after tossing the ingredients.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/2  cup  fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 1/2  tablespoons  chopped walnuts
• 2  tablespoons  fresh sage leaves
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  garlic clove
• 1/3  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3  cups  cooked cavatappi pasta (about 6 ounces uncooked)
• 4  cups  torn arugula
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced shallots
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat squash with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Cool squash slightly.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, parsley, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until finely chopped, scraping sides. With processor on, slowly pour broth through food chute, processing until well blended.

Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, squash, pasta, and pesto in a large bowl, and toss well to coat. Add arugula, shallots, and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

325 (30% from fat)

Fat:

10.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.5g,poly 3.3g)

Protein:

8.5g

Carbohydrate:

51.8g

Fiber:

5.5g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

2.8mg

Sodium:

493mg

Calcium:

140mg